Posts tagged with "Sheltering in place"

With a pandemic, a lockdown, painful personal losses, a spiraling economy, fewer jobs, stress on relationships, and literally nowhere to go, who can blame Americans for wanting to know what will happen in the “foreseeable future”?

While in the past, spiritualism meant looking for connection with the dead, today it is more about seeking assurance. Alicia Butler, a 38-year-old freelance writer, usually turns to tarot card readings for comfort. She told Salon during the pandemic they’ve been especially helpful.

“Uncertainty is something that many of us struggle with and, for some, it can cause a tremendous amount of anxiety,” Theodore said. “Fear of the unknown can send us into a downward spiral of negative thinking and imagining worst case scenarios.”

Theodore added that one of the hardest parts of this pandemic is not knowing how long it will last or what our lives will look like once it ends.

Hale, the psychic, said the number one question she gets from clients is when they will find a romantic partner.

“The biggest concern of most of the people who call me is still their relationship,” Hale said. “People want to know, ‘when I am going to be able to go out and meet someone special again?'”

She believes that inquiry is tied to loneliness.

“During this time of social isolation, I think people are lonely . . . . of course we have technology but that’s not the same thing as sitting across the table from someone,” Hale said.

Sara Kohl, who does “remote viewing” for Keen.com, said many people are wondering about their job security, too. “I’ve had a lot of my clients get furloughed,” Kohl said. “And so they’re calling… wondering if they’re going to be going back to work, and when.”

Fortuitously, Kohl is one of those rare people who is unconcerned about job security right now. “It’s been the busiest I’ve ever seen,” she said. “People are calling in droves.”

If the faces around you have become way too familiar over the past few months of “sheltering in place,” have some empathy for your pets.

“Animals do really like to have routines,” says Jamie Richardson, DVM, chief of staff for Small Door Veterinary in New York City. “With this change, with our day-to-day anxieties, all that translates down to our pets.”

That’s why your dog or cat may be behaving unusually, such as barking or meowing more often than normal, over-grooming, or urinating in inappropriate places (known as displacement behaviors or displacement activities), she recently told Better Homes & Gardens.

“And, although a schedule is important, try to vary your routine each day,” she recommends to Better Homes & Gardens. “For example, if your pet has separation anxiety, consider showering at a different time so they don’t know when you’ll be gone and “go crazy,” Richardson says.

Additionally, be sure to give your pet as much love and attention as possible. “Set aside time each day specifically for your pet, whether it’s physical or mental exercise,” Richardson says. This could be anything, including playing with them in your house or backyard or even teaching them a new trick.”

Richardson told the magazine that she also likes toys that double as brain games. For pups, she recommends a puzzle bowl, ($8.60, Chewy.com). Cats, on the other hand, love Doc. & Phoebe’s Cat Co.’s indoor hunting feeder (19.99, Chewy.com), she says.

Now that we’re all sheltering in place, convenient and soothing comfort foods—like hot dogs, soup, and macaroni and cheese—are outselling the healthy options that prevailed pre-pandemic, Axios reports. Kimchi and kale? Not so much.

In fact, a lot of the foods that were trending at the beginning of this year—the plant-based meat substitutes, low-alcohol/no-alcohol drinks, and products billed as organic or sustainable—are not on our radar anymore,.

Restaurant chains like Shake Shack and Chick-fil-A even are introducing meal kits of their own, so people can get the ingredients needed to make their favorite dishes delivered—and the stores can recoup some lost sales.

Denny’s Complete Breakfast Meal Kit, for example, “serves four to six and contains bacon strips, eggs, milk, biscuits or English muffins, grapes, strawberries, assorted jelly packets, and Signature Diner Blend Coffee with a variety of sweeteners,” per Progressive Grocer.

On the beverage side, the “sober curious” consumers who made “Dry January” such a big thing this year have been drowned out by the bored and anxious, who are driving up booze sales, quaffing “quarantinis” and hoisting Corona beer during Zoom happy hours.

Denny’s, a chain of 1,700 diner-style restaurants that operates nationwide in the United States, as well as globally, has found a way to offer more meal options to Americans who are sheltering in place during the COVID-19 lockdown—and at the same time, boost its own revenue stream.

“Denny’s is committed to finding new and innovative ways to continue to feed our communities, especially during this time when we’re practicing social distancing and staying at home,” said John Dillon, chief brand officer for Denny’s. “We hope that our Denny’s Market meal kits and grocery program helps alleviate the need to go to overcrowded grocery stores and make mealtime a little easier.”